NY Giants' David Diehl is the real deal

PHOENIX -- The vomit, frozen by the frigid Green Bay air, was caked on the facemask of the NY Giants' David Diehl. Not quite the symbol of bravery that mud or blood often connotes -- actually, it could have been construed as a sign of nervousness, weakness or an unfit immune system -- the hardened bile nonetheless awed Diehl's teammates during last week's NFC Championship victory that earned a trip to Super Bowl XLII.

"You looked at him and you were like, 'Damn, there's frozen puke on his face mask,'" backup lineman Grey Ruegamer said the other day. "That was pretty impressive. I was happy for him.

"Well, it's not like you root for a guy to feel that bad; it's just that you have to respect the way he doesn't give up and plays his heart out."

Through illness, pain and awkward adjustments to new positions on the offensive line, Diehl has done everything the Giants have asked in every game they've played since they selected him the fifth round of the 2003 draft.

"We need you to start at right guard as a rookie, Dave."

"No problem."

"Wait, we just drafted the coach's son-in-law and that's his spot, so can you slide to right tackle?"

"Sure."

"Sorry, but we just signed a free agent to play that position. Bounce over there to left guard, will ya?"

"Okay."

"Dave, you're not going to believe this but we just cut our left tackle, the kid we drafted last year isn't ready and the guy we tried to sign went to Dallas to play guard. Would you mind playing the most important position on the line even though you've only played two games there?"

"Absolutely."

"Oh, and would you mind playing well enough to get us to the Super Bowl?"

With the way Diehl has adjusted to his latest role and kept some of the NFL's best pass rushers away from Eli Manning's blind side, the answer to that question is a resounding, "You betcha."

In six days, Diehl will play in the Super Bowl -- a game that has featured current and former Pro Bowl left tackles in the last four years: John Tait (Bears), Tarik Glenn (Colts), Walter Jones (Seahawks), Marvel Smith (Steelers), Tra Thomas (Eagles), Todd Steussie (Panthers) and the Patriots' Matt Light. While Diehl hasn't been honored with a Pro Bowl selection, his team's presence in this game is validation of his solid play this season.

"If I wasn't doing my job, we wouldn't be going to Arizona," Diehl said the other day. "I'm not trying to be cocky, I'm just being honest: If your left tackle isn't playing well, things aren't going to go well."

Diehl played well in the Giants' loss to the Patriots on Dec. 29, holding Pro Bowl linebacker Adalius Thomas to only one pressure. Thomas did record a key sack in the second half, but it was only because linebacker Junior Seau came up the middle, forcing Manning to spin to his left -- right into Thomas' grasp.

Diehl did give up two pressures to rookie end Jarvis Green in the first half, but dominated both Green and Thomas the rest of the game. No wonder the Giants were able to score 35 points on the fourth-best defense in the NFL this season.

But they might need even more this time. And like Diehl said about the offense in general, much of their success on Sunday will rely upon how well he can handle Thomas, who can line up anywhere from the defensive line to the secondary.

"If you don't account for him as an outside linebacker, he's a guy that you don't want your running back or tight end on," Diehl said. "So they use that to their advantage. He's a hell of a player."

So is Diehl, which is why he's respected on an offensive line that loves to take playful jabs at one another. That's why many of the comedic on-field stories they trade about their linemates don't involve Diehl making a mistake or tripping and embarrassing himself. Rather, they're tales of his toughing out an injury, which probably didn't seem funny to Diehl as they were happening.

They're typical Diehl moments -- like the one from Green Bay -- that define the kind of player he is. And every one of his linemates seems to have a favorite.

For left guard, Rich Seubert -- Diehl's neighbor on the line -- it was a drive late in the first half against the Eagles in Week 4 when Diehl's chinstrap broke, causing his helmet pop up on every play. On contact, his own face mask would smack into his nose, which remained bloodied for the entire drive.

In the middle of a no-huddle attack, Diehl had no time to get a replacement helmet.

"He took one look at the sideline," Seubert recalled, "and I yelled, 'You're not going anywhere. You're staying here with me.'"

He did -- through the blood, the pain and, four months later, the vomit.

"Diehl's been there for the Giants. He's busted his back for us," Seubert said. "It's just great to see him get rewarded."